


the sound of home

by imagines, SheithFixitZine



Series: Written in the Stars - a Sheith Fixit Zine [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Flirting, M/M, Wedding Jitters, emotional validation, reassurance, s8 what s8, the dinner party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27033517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imagines/pseuds/imagines, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheithFixitZine/pseuds/SheithFixitZine
Summary: This time, Keith doesn’t have to leave in the morning, or even within the next few days. This time, he gets two whole weeks with Shiro before their wedding, and then a honeymoon besides. He can’t remember the last time he was allowed this much free time, let alone the chance to be with Shiro for all of it.Only two more weeks, and then they’ll be married. Keith presses his forehead to Shiro’s shoulder, wrapping his free arm around Shiro’s waist and squeezing. They’ve been planning this for so long, but now that the event is within sight, he’s overcome by an ancient urge to flee. He could leave right now, climb back in his ship, shut off his communications link, and be entirely alone with only the stars and Kosmo for company. He could do it. Shiro wouldn’t stop him. There’d be no plans, no pressure, and…no Shiro. Keith’s gut twists, imagining the horrible longing he would feel, and it would be his own fault. So he can’t run, he can’t, despite the panic that he can’t do this, he isn’t good enough, heisn’tenough.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Written in the Stars - a Sheith Fixit Zine [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939831
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	the sound of home

When Keith lands in the Castle’s hanger on Altea, Shiro is waiting for him with slicked-back hair and an armful of flowers, epaulets shining almost as bright as his smile. But as Keith exits his little Blade ship, Shiro’s mouth drops open. Keith bites back a grin. Classic.

Kosmo dashes ahead of Keith to give Shiro’s boots a thorough sniffing, then sits with a huff and leans against Shiro’s leg, gazing up at Shiro adoringly. Shiro reaches down to scratch Kosmo’s head; Kosmo leans even harder.

“Keith,” Shiro sighs, as Keith steps forward to take the giant bouquet Shiro’s brought him. “You—you look— _wow_.”

“You look _wow_ too,” Keith says, conversationally. He holds his flowers off to one side, in order to be wrapped in Shiro’s arms. He noses at the side of Shiro’s neck, breathing him in. “It’s so good to be back.”

“Good to have you back, baby.” Shiro laughs. “You know, I’m still not tired of saying that.”

“I hope you never get tired of it.” Keith lets his nuzzles slide into kisses, pressing his mouth to Shiro’s throat, feeling for the place where Shiro’s blood beats wildly beneath his skin. “I missed you,” he breathes. “That photo you sent yesterday didn’t help.”

“I just wanted to remind you what you were coming home to—ahh, _Keith!_ —” Shiro clasps his hand around the back of Keith’s head as he bites a tiny mark right over Shiro’s pulse. “Imagine the headlines,” he complains. “Captain of the Atlas, mauled right inside Castle grounds...”

“You can maul me later,” Keith suggests, “and then we’ll be even.” Oh, he loves the pretty flush that rises to Shiro’s cheeks whenever Keith throws him off-balance like this. “Do you like that idea?” he purrs. “Get me alone tonight, maybe try something new?”

Shiro lets out a sweet little moan at that. Keith can only imagine the pretty pictures in Shiro’s mind right now. They tease each other whenever Keith’s away, trading fantasies by text to soothe the ache of separation.

Heat builds low in Keith’s stomach as he remembers what he’d written to Shiro just before falling asleep last night: _i’ll be so good for you, sweetheart._ And Shiro’s response: _fuck, Keith. can’t wait. <3 _This time, Keith doesn’t have to leave in the morning, or even within the next few days. This time, he gets two whole weeks with Shiro before their wedding, and then a honeymoon besides. He can’t remember the last time he was allowed this much free time, let alone the chance to be with Shiro for all of it.

Only two more weeks, and then they’ll be married. Keith presses his forehead to Shiro’s shoulder, wrapping his free arm around Shiro’s waist and squeezing. They’ve been planning this for so long, but now that the event is within sight, he’s overcome by an ancient urge to flee. He could leave right now, climb back in his ship, shut off his communications link, and be entirely alone with only the stars and Kosmo for company. He could do it. Shiro wouldn’t stop him. There’d be no plans, no pressure, and…no Shiro. Keith’s gut twists, imagining the horrible longing he would feel, and it would be his own fault. So he can’t run, he can’t, despite the panic that he can’t do this, he isn’t good enough, he _isn’t_ enough.

“Babe?” Shiro asks, concern lacing his voice. “You okay?” His arms are warm around Keith’s shoulders—not a trap, Keith reminds himself, but instead an anchor.

He breathes in Shiro—the spice of the cologne Keith had bought him for his birthday; the clean smell of a freshly-pressed uniform; the faint hint of sweat from Shiro being buttoned up tight in said uniform all day. “I’m fine.” It’s not _too_ big of a lie. Keith just needs a minute to adjust to the new life they’re hurtling toward, and he’ll be golden.

At dinner that evening, Shiro unsubtly nudges his chair closer to Keith’s, until Keith is within reach of Shiro’s left hand. It’s difficult to concentrate on the various little toasts everyone is giving, what with Shiro’s big palm resting warm and heavy on his thigh, sometimes squeezing, sometimes rubbing, always distracting.

“Hey, Keith,” Hunk says, snapping Keith out of his trance. “How are the Galra doing with that whole—” He twirls his fork in a circle. “Democracy thing?”

“Well, they tried to _elect_ me as their emperor—”

“ _You_?” Lance squawks. “You’d be a terrible emperor!”

Once, Keith would have blown up at Lance; now, he just laughs. “I know, right? Too fond of traveling and absolutely no lust for power. I’m not even particularly bloodthirsty. Had to tell them that wasn’t what we meant by democracy. Krolia and Kolivan helped set up a provisional government, and they’ll be holding elections within the year.”

“That’s _fantastic_ ,” Shiro says, in that soft, proud voice he uses whenever Keith does something he considers spectacular.

Keith’s brain stutters to a halt. “I—ah—it’s just, you know, wasn’t only me,” he mutters. Shiro’s hand tightens on his thigh again, and already Keith can feel his ears burning.

“Why Keith, you’re turning pink,” Allura says, frowning. “Are you too warm? Shall we fetch some ice?”

Pidge flaps a hand. “He’s fine,” she insists. “He’s just bad with compliments. Especially when they’re coming from Shiro.”

Shiro coughs loudly. “Ah. Nunvill down the wrong pipe,” he explains, although Keith hasn’t seen him take a sip in several minutes.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Keith says, hoping to redirect attention, “enough about me. What’s been happening on Earth?”

Shiro brightens at the escape route Keith is offering. “Allura and I have discovered that we can use the Atlas to produce wormholes. We’ll be making a jump to Olkari in the near future for a summit on natural resources and technology, with Pidge acting as ambassador. But that will be after the wedding, of course.”

“The _wedding_ ,” Hunk croons. “I still can’t believe that after all these years, you’re finally tying the knot! Honestly, we all kind of expected you to elope by now.”

“Not off the table yet,” Keith says under his breath.

Shiro hides a little snort of laughter in the back of his hand. “If I didn’t think your mom might kill me—”

“If I didn’t think Mom might kill _me_ ,” Keith retorts. His other leg—the one Shiro isn’t petting—won’t stop jiggling under the table, and he can feel his underarms growing damp. He downs the rest of his glass of water and reaches for the pitcher in the center of the table. But his hand is trembling, and he sends the pitcher tumbling onto its side, a minor flood of ice-cold water spilling across the tablecloth and directly into Lance’s lap.

Lance yelps, shoving his chair back. “Keith! What the hell? I thought we were friends now!”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Keith snaps, too aware of everyone’s eyes on him.

“Hey, man, I’m just kidding,” Lance says, his tone suddenly sober. He dabs at his pants with a napkin, though it’s not doing much to help. “It’s only water. It’s seriously not a big deal.”

“Oh. Okay. Sorry.” Keith tries to let go of the tension locked into his shoulders, but everything seems too bright and too warm, and it’s all he can do not to crawl under the table.

Coran clears his throat. “Ah, Shiro, why don’t you show Keith the gardens? They’ve recently been landscaped, you may recall. We’ve obtained a fine specimen of a klackswingle tree, and it’s just begun to bloom!”

Shiro’s eyes narrow. “There wouldn’t happen to be any, er, special effects from its pollen, would there?”

“Goodness, no!” Coran exclaims. “Not this time, anyway.”

“Wait, what do you mean _this_ time?” Keith asks.

Shiro tugs at the collar of his jacket, flushing. “Certainly is unseasonably hot,” he mumbles. “A walk would be just the thing. Refreshing. Shall we, Keith?”

Twilight is falling as they enter the gardens. Enclosed by a specialized particle barrier, the area functions as a massive greenhouse, remaining a comfortable temperature all decaphoeb. Neither Keith nor Shiro has had time to explore much, though they’ve peered in longingly on their way to other appointments and meetings. Now, Keith supposes, they can spend as long as they please in here.

The barrier also serves to protect the lions, which are situated in the middle of the gardens. Any of the winding paths eventually leads to the center, so Keith doesn’t try to hurry, though he’s curious to see what’s become of their former protectors. He and Shiro chat in low voices as they pass through the juniberry field, then the arboretum, where Coran’s beloved klackswingle rustles its leaves as they approach. (Shiro gives it a wide berth, staring up suspiciously at its bright purple flowers.

Eventually, they arrive at the central clearing, coming out from among the trees to find themselves face to face with the silent lions. Perfectly still, the lions crouch in the moonlight like massive metal gargoyles. Keith shivers and reaches out to take Shiro’s hand.

Shiro rubs Keith’s hand with his thumb. “What are you thinking, baby?”

“We found Allura,” Keith says. “I can’t help thinking maybe Lotor is somewhere out there, too.”

“Mmm. I suppose it’s possible,” Shiro muses. “We’ll keep an eye out for anything that suggests he might still be alive, and if we find a lead, we’ll follow it.”

“That’d be good.”

They stand quietly for a few more moments, contemplating the lightless eyes of their lions. Remembering.

“Hey,” Shiro says after a bit. “I noticed you seemed a little stressed at dinner. If you want to talk about it, you know I’m here, right?”

Of course Keith wants to talk about it, but wanting and being able are very different. “I feel stupid,” he mutters. “And it’s kind of bad. I don’t wanna hurt you.”

“Hey—” Shiro bumps his shoulder into Keith’s. “Whatever it is, I’ll be okay. Let me help you, baby, please?”

“I’m _scared!_ ” Keith bursts out. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be, I just—” He stares at the ground, burning under Shiro’s gaze. His old fears still overtake him at times, and right now, he’s convinced he’s going to disappoint Shiro; convinced he’s ruining everything.

Shiro’s fingertips land under his chin, gentle but insistent, making him look up. “It’s all right to be scared, Keith. What’s got you so worried?”

Keith blinks hard, barely able to meet Shiro’s eyes. “What if we’re different after we get married? What if things change between us?” He thinks he sees pain in Shiro’s eyes; desperately, he backtracks. “I don’t mean that I don’t want to marry you. I just don’t want us to stop being good together.”

“Keith,” Shiro whispers, and oh, Keith should never have opened his mouth— “Baby. Listen to me.”

Keith braces himself. Whatever it is, Shiro deserves a chance to say it, even if it might hurt to hear it.

“I understand why you’re feeling scared. It’s a big change, and—” Shiro takes a deep breath. “I can’t say I’m not afraid, too.”

Keith frowns. Shiro, afraid? It’s hard to imagine.

Shiro is smiling at him, a soft, sweet expression that’s always just for Keith. “What I know is this: we’ve already changed so much in the time we’ve known each other. But every time we do, we grow closer.”

Abruptly, Shiro takes Keith by the shoulders and walks him backward, pressing him up against a nearby tree trunk. The ridges of the bark dig into Keith’s spine, but he doesn’t want to move away. Shiro’s hair glows silver—like starlight, Keith thinks.

“Getting married won’t change who we are. We’ll still be ourselves. We’ll still be together. And we’ll still be in love.” Shiro’s hands slide down to Keith’s waist, gripping tight and stealing his breath away. “I love you, Keith. I will always love you. And I would want to take this step with you even if you think it might be different for you—even if you think that maybe, one day in the future, you might start to feel otherwise.”

“I couldn’t,” Keith gasps. “Knowing you, loving you, they’re the same thing for me. As long as you’re with me, I’ll love you.”

Shiro’s arms surround Keith, strong as iron, but it’s not a trap. It’s safety. They cling together and kiss, hot and wanting.

[beautiful art of this moment [HERE](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A-Ksxrkgc8Zgiguu364V8LrOVZ_SD9ts/view) by [ribbitsplace](https://twitter.com/ribbitsplace)]

Keith is panting when he finally leans back from Shiro. “Let’s go to bed,” he suggests, breathless.

“Tired already?” Shiro’s voice is low and dark, and it sends a tremor up Keith’s spine.

Keith looks him in the eye and says, “Wouldn’t you like to find out?”

Back at the castle, they head straight for their quarters. Maybe their footsteps are a little too loud, because Lance sticks his head out of _his_ door as they go by.

“Where are you going in such a hur—” Lance’s eyes widen as he takes in the expressions on their faces. “Ohhh,” he says. “Okay, you two have a great night!”

Keith pays him no mind. He needs to be alone with Shiro, and he needs it _now_.

Within the sanctuary of their room, they tangle together and come apart, until they’re sated and exhausted. In each other’s arms, they fall asleep, expecting to dream until the morning.

At first Keith thinks he hears thunder, but when he drags open his eyes, the sky through their window is still cloudless and bright with moon and stars. The low rumble comes again, and he shoots upright, patting wildly at Shiro’s shoulder.

“Wha? Huh?” Shiro blinks himself awake. “What’s ha—”

This time it’s a full-on roar, and they leap out of bed, throw on clothes, and tear down the hall and out of the castle doors.

“Holy _shit_ ,” Keith breathes.

The other paladins have beaten them outside, where the lions have apparently flown themselves out of the garden barrier and parked right in front of the castle instead.

“Do you guys hear that?” Lance asks. “Red is talking to me again! I think they got their souls back!”

“They’re...going to get someone,” Pidge says, eyebrows furrowed.

A small sob breaks out of Allura; everyone turns to look at her. “It’s Lotor,” she whispers. “Blue showed me—the lions know where he is.”

The lions rise into the air, soft growls and snarls still singing through the reopened bonds. Shiro puts his hand on Keith’s shoulder, squeezing hard.

“They’ll be back,” Keith says, as the lions turn and fly away, vanishing among the stars. “I’m sure of it.”

Lance turns and finally gets a good look at Shiro and Keith. He raises an eyebrow. “Decided to trade clothes, did you?”

Keith looks down at the sweatpants he’s wearing, the hems of which drag on the ground, and at the t-shirt Shiro’s wearing, which clings to his torso like a second skin. “Uh… we were just in a hurry.”

“In a hurry to get dressed... Because you were sleeping _not_ dressed,” Lance concludes.

Hunk elbows him. “Lance, I really didn’t need to be thinking about the Admiral and Keith, um, well.”

Pidge rolls her eyes. “They’re _engaged_ ,” she says. “What did you think they do in bed? Play video games?”

“We do play video games,” Shiro says in a small voice.

“And I kick his ass,” Keith adds.

Lance’s eyebrow rises even higher. “What else do you do to his—”

“ _Lance_ ,” Allura says. “Don’t tease them so. I heard humans can die of embarrassment!”

“That’s just a figure of speech,” Hunk explains. “They’ll be fine. Tease away.”

“We were allies, dude,” Keith complains. “Brothers in arms—”

“And sisters,” Pidge interjects.

“—Brothers and sisters in arms. I trusted you!”

Pidge comes over to pat Shiro on the back. “There, there. Just imagine the wedding toasts.”

“The toasts,” Shiro repeats. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes,” Pidge says. “So many toasts.”

“We could still elope!” Keith says.

Allura dabs at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. “You wouldn’t,” she sniffs. “Not when I’ve been planning such a lovely reception for you.”

“You—oh jeez, Allura, it’s just a joke,” Keith says, crestfallen.

“She’s not really crying,” Hunk says in a stage whisper.

“Everyone come here,” Lance orders, throwing his arms wide. “I think what we all need right now is a group hug.”

Keith pretends to grumble, but he lets Lance sweep him into the hug anyway.

“We’re family,” Lance declares. “And sometimes family gets on each other’s nerves—Keith, you especially get on mine—”

“ _Lance_ ,” Shiro says.

“Let me finish! But it’s just because we matter so much to each other. Because we love each other. No matter what happens, I know every one of us will always be there for the rest.”

“This is going to shock you all, but for once…” Keith takes a deep breath. “I agree with Lance.”

“I will treasure this moment until my dying day,” Lance says, clutching his heart.

“Don’t push it, man,” Hunk tells him.

Laughter has been rare in the last few years, but they laugh now, the sound echoing across the castle grounds. It’s good, Keith thinks. It’s the sound of family. It’s the sound of home.

**Author's Note:**

> extremely nsfw sequel: [nightfall](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27033682)


End file.
